Son is 5 years old . He has developed a habit of licking his hands . Sometimes putting his whole hand inside his mouth ( like when you make a fist ) he will then proceed to rub the saliva on the communication device or table or window or seat anywhere really . He goes to ABA and they ignore the behavior as they call it attention seeking . It’s been happening for about a month and does not dissipate or lessen . His little hands are so dry and red . They have tried giving him playdough . Hand sanitizer but it seems like it’s a sensory issue . I worry since it’s unsanitary and he can get super sick from germs . What are some ideas we can implement to lessen the severity of this behavior .
Answer:
Thanks for your question! I do not think this is an attention seeking behavior. I agree with you that it is a sensory issue. I recommend that you, school, ABA, etc. start blocking this behavior to the best of your ability. In addition to that we need to find a "replacement behavior" to the licking/saliva that will meet his sensory needs. If he gets OT you can also ask them for recommendations, but here are my recommendations in the meantime!
There are a few options, I like to try least restrictive before most restrictive. Least restrictive would be something like giving him access to water play throughout the day or a wet washcloth to see if water competes with saliva. You can even teach him to request water play when you block the licking behavior. Water play can be in the bathroom/kitchen sink, bathtub, or outside as it gets warmer.
Playdoh is a good idea, but the texture is not close enough to saliva, I would try slime! If you're not familiar you can google "kids slime" and will find plenty of options. They sell it at Target, dollar stores, etc. or you can even make your own! Any time you block the behavior I would give him the slime. He may not like it at first, but you can try pairing it with reinforcement. So when he plays with the slime I would give lots of praise, "Nice job playing with your slime and keeping your hands out of your mouth!" and you can even give him a preferred snack if he is a foodie.
So try water play and slime first. Give it a good week or two to see if you see a decrease in the behavior. A more restrictive option would be having him wear gloves but that is a last resort. Check back in with us in two weeks and let us know how it is going!
Thanks for your question! I do not think this is an attention seeking behavior. I agree with you that it is a sensory issue. I recommend that you, school, ABA, etc. start blocking this behavior to the best of your ability. In addition to that we need to find a “replacement behavior” to the licking/saliva that will meet his sensory needs. If he gets OT you can also ask them for recommendations, but here are my recommendations in the meantime!
There are a few options, I like to try least restrictive before most restrictive. Least restrictive would be something like giving him access to water play throughout the day or a wet washcloth to see if water competes with saliva. You can even teach him to request water play when you block the licking behavior. Water play can be in the bathroom/kitchen sink, bathtub, or outside as it gets warmer.
Playdoh is a good idea, but the texture is not close enough to saliva, I would try slime! If you’re not familiar you can google “kids slime” and will find plenty of options. They sell it at Target, dollar stores, etc. or you can even make your own! Any time you block the behavior I would give him the slime. He may not like it at first, but you can try pairing it with reinforcement. So when he plays with the slime I would give lots of praise, “Nice job playing with your slime and keeping your hands out of your mouth!” and you can even give him a preferred snack if he is a foodie.
So try water play and slime first. Give it a good week or two to see if you see a decrease in the behavior. A more restrictive option would be having him wear gloves but that is a last resort. Check back in with us in two weeks and let us know how it is going!